CEASAR Roundtable and Networking 5/4/21

Mathias Ihlenfeld is the CEO and Owner of woom bikes USA, a company based in Austin, Texas, that is on a mission to inspire children throughout North America to love riding their bikes by offering high-quality, lightweight bikes specifically tailored to a child’s anatomy. Since 2014, Ihlenfeld has helmed the business as woom bikes has become one of the fastest growing companies in the United States, the 20th fastest-growing company in Texas, and the 7th fastest-growing company in the city of Austin, as recognized by Inc. Magazine. Ihlenfeld and his team at woom bikes have positively disrupted the children’s bike category in North America as the largest and fastest-growing direct-to-consumer brand in the space.  

Raised in Germany, Ihlenfeld moved to the United States in 1994 as a collegiate tennis player, ultimately earning his MBA at the University of Alabama.  Ihlenfeld gained vast experience in the business world as an IBM and SAP management and financial consultant. During that time, he developed the skills and intuition to successfully manage an international manufacturing business in a fast-paced, digitally driven economy.  

Over the last six years, Ihlenfeld has built a team of over 45 employees collectively driven to change the lives of children through cycling. Ihlenfeld utilizes his background, commitment to building a sustainable organization, and belief that it is a company’s responsibility to give back to the communities it serves. woom has a give-back model built into the organization called  upCYCLE—when customers buy the next size woom bike for their child, customers are able to return their used woom for 40 percent of the original purchase price. upCYCLED bikes are then donated to nonprofits focused on getting kids on bikes regardless of their socioeconomic environment.